how long are eggs good for?

[chickiemom]

I have had chickens for over a year. But I cant find any info on how long the eggs are good for. So we have been giving them away once we have our eggs and incubation eggs. Does anyone know how long after I collect them they are good in the fridge. Thank you guys.

 

[pegbo]

I generally keep my eggs in the fridge about a month. If you don't wash them first, they are suppose to be good for up to three months.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Quote:
We don’t wash or refrigerate our eggs and keep them in a cool area out of direct sunlight my wife tells me they will keep for months.

 

[mudhen]

Barnyard Dawg wrote: ....they will keep for months.

Does anyone know if eggs kept like this would still be good for incubating/hatching?
I have read info on 'bloom' , but can't find a definitive answer for this question.​

 

[chickiemom]

hey mudhen,
I have read that you can only use eggs that are one week old. I have also heard of upto 10 days but not after that. I hope this helps.

 

[mudhen]

Thanks, chickiemom. It does help.
I was guessing fertile eggs could be viable for about a week or two, but with all the talk of eggs lasting as long as months it seemed perhaps that they could remain viable for just as long, as if in suspended animation.

 

[cadman68]

I recently read that you could store eggs for 7-10 days for incubating, but after that the success rate of hatching begins to decline. So you can store them for a longer period of time, but the 7-10 day time frame should be considered the maximum for hatching eggs.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Eggs can be stored without refrigeration. First you need to start with fresh eggs that have never been refrigerated. Outside the U.S. this is easy. In the U.S. try finding a farm that sells fresh eggs or raise your own chickens. Do not clean the shells, as there is already a protective seal on the eggs that you don't want to wash off. The easiest way to keep eggs a month or two is simply turn the egg cartons over twice a week.

 

[silkiechicken]

I've had 12 chicks develop to day 16 out of 60 eggs about one month old. Not sure how many would have hatched though.

 

[jimnjay]

The books tell you that 7 to 10 days is the optimum for storing hatching eggs. That includes proper care during the storage. They should be kept in a carton and rotated at least daily and the temps should be cool around 50 is good. I know of people hatching eggs that were kept in the refrigerator as well as some who have never cooled them at all. There are some that have hatched eggs that were 30 days old. There is a pretty wide swing of possibility. If you want a good hatch, I would try to hatch within the first 10 days.

Remember the mama lays her eggs for 8 to 12 days before finally setting on them. She does not have ideal temperature control in here nest either. I always try to approach thing regarding care of eggs and chicks to replicate the mother hen as much as possible. JMHO